BBC Blog Network

User Profile

Croftalicious

Listed below are comments made by Croftalicious between Tuesday, 1st December 2009 and Thursday, 31st December 2009.

«Newer
Older»

Quotes of the year 2009 2:27pm on 31 Dec 2009 Adrian Sutil!!! What a legend!! haha!!
Premier League "Team of the Noughties" 11:34pm on 30 Dec 2009 97. At 4:49pm on 30 Dec 2009, Esteelo wrote:

CM: Lampard
No other central midfielder in any of the big three leagues in Europe has managed over 20 goals for 5 consecutive years. Even when he doesn't score he is often one of the better players on the pitch.

Ok fella...I don't think that you and I have been watching the same Frank Lampard over the years...people have commented against Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs lacking the fight in particularly BIG games; I'm going to point out that Frank Lampard is even worse! I can't for the life of me remember the last high stakes game, for club or country, where Lamps has merited his place, goals or not, and he can do nothing against a defense that contains 20 yards out as he lacks the skill set to do anything other than blindly swing a foot and hope the ball bounces off someone and in. Definately not in my team for this simple reason!

People raising Campbell have a fair point, he was amazing from 2000-2003, but since then...pretty average really. Gallas, Terry, Ferdinand, Hypia, Carragher all get the nod ahead of him for continued performance in this decade. Also, Pires was one of the worst, and most blatant divers, in the history of the Prem, I will never forget the Pompey game he got De Zeeuw sent off by falling and sticking out a leg in the box so that contact would be made, thereby getting him sent off and Arsenal a penalty to boot, a disgusting result, and this was far from the only time! I appreciate Ronaldo, Rooney, Drogba fall over pretty easily as well, but none for me were as blatant as Robert Pires, no matter how skillful a footballer he was!

My Team:

Gk-Given (just pips Freidel for consistancy, despite pretty poor defences!)
Rb-Neville (agree with lack of options, but a much better bet than Johnson)
Lb-A. Cole (an invinceable, money grabber...maybe, but still the best in the world on his day)
Cb-Ferdinand (memory loss aside...)
Cb-Terry (c) (needs a good footballer beside him, but great in that case)
Rw-Ronaldo (falls over...ALOT! but still one of the greatest to ever play in the premiership, and getting over that habit, now he just gets kicked alot!)
Cm-Vieira (made the Arsenal team tick for a number of years, how badly has he been missed?)
Cm-Has to be Gerrard (where would liverpool be without him? lower than they are now for sure)
Lw-Giggs (the most consistant prem performer of all time? with Shearer)
St-Van Nistelrooy (one of the most consistant goalscorers of the decade, useless outside the box, but I can't think of anyone that I'd have rather had when inside it!)
St-Thierry Henry (his god gifted talent mesmerised many premier league watchers during his time at Arsenal, shame his hands have stuck a great black mar on his record book)

I thought hard about neglecting Joe Cole, Shearer, Drogba and Essien, Butt, Fabregas and (don't laugh!) Fletcher (whom I think has been one of the premiership's most underrated players for a long old time (and a Man United first team player since 2004! so he's been there a while!) but I think that the acheivements and the consitancy of those I have chosen merits their choice for me.

(to the liverpool fan who suggested Glenn Johnson though: seriously? he's yet to have one good season for any club, what are you on? Stephen Carr is miles ahead of him for Rb, but still quite some way behind Neville!)
Schumacher will be fighting rivals and the sands of time 11:11pm on 29 Dec 2009 Did anyone watch the Race of the Champions stuff? Michael beat (almost :P) all comers there, and has generally won most of his charity races, whether in Karts or cars, all without having been competively racing for 3 years. To me, this suggests that he has the capacity to still be right at the sharp end of F1, whether Merc give him the best car, or merely a good one.

At the RoC he lost to 3-time winner Mattias Ekström, whilst STILL setting times in the final at least 2 seconds faster than anyone else had done previously in the cars they were racing; Button, Vettel, Priaulx and Hirvonen included. 2 seconds, on an under-1minute lap...in 'strange' machinery? And the Germany team, comprising Schumi and Vettel again won the RoC Nations Cup...

If Michael Schumacher gets in a car that he can balance and will drive the way HE wants it to, regardless of whether it should or not, he will be a force to reckon with.

Also: only Schumacher and Barrichello raced in formula before re-fuelling was introduced, how important will this prove? I think the wise old heads may well have an advantage here!
Schumacher will be fighting rivals and the sands of time 3:32pm on 23 Dec 2009 One word required: EXCITED!!
England get luck of the draw 5:36pm on 05 Dec 2009 davidgilmourthethird is clearly working through some personal issues right now, lets all try to be nice to him and offer every support we can through this trying time.

And to others complaining about the Draw, South Africa also have two teams who qualified via playoffs in their group, ok they're France and Uruguay, but still teams who didnt do as well in the qualifiers. And if you ask me, tournament favourites Spain have the "easiest" group: Honduras, Chile and Mr Blatter's Switzerland. Fact of the matter the draw was broadcast live and all the represented nations are happy with it, and some, ahem...France...ahem...are more than happy, merely to be there. Deal with it. To quote many people who have played in the world cup: "There are no easy games", regardless of who England, France, Spain or anyone will have to face in the groups, or later on, every team will be there wanting to win it, and knowing that they have a chance of winning it, slim though that chance may be, else they wouldn't have bothered going through even attempting to qualify for it.
England get luck of the draw 11:31am on 05 Dec 2009 I think that most people are in agreement: Its a kind draw for the groups, and should results elsewhere go to plan then its a nice draw to the semi's, but people are forgetting: its tournament football guys, theres no such thing as certainty, France 2002? France 2006 for that matter! (I know they got to the final, but they weren't "supposed to"!)

We have a good chance to better all english performances at World Cups for the last 2 decades, I think that that warrents supporting the team! (no matter who is selected), and enjoying the "fun" of a World Cup summer.

I for one will be cheering England on, and will have "two cheapy george cross flags" flapping on the side of my car!

Good luck England!
Strong line up for Sports Personality 3:11pm on 01 Dec 2009 Why are people questioning Ryan Giggs's acheivements of the last year? How many more accoalades has we won than every other footballer of his generation? answer: ALOT! and at the age of 35 picked up PFA player of the year award after being instrumental in helping ManUtd hunt down Liverpool for the EPL title last season. THAT is why Giggs is there, deservedly so I hasten to add.

Anyhow, the 10 on this list are the ones with the most previous votes, Phil Taylor, Tony McCoy et all didnt get as many votes from the journo's, and as a result aren't in it. I personally hope that JB will win it, as he, finally, became a world champion this year. Also, the muppet who wrote "in the best car: whoop" earlier, didnt Ruben's also have the "best car"? yup, and where did he come? 3rd. so that arguments as lousy now as it was just before Brazil. Besides, the Brawn was only the best car for the first 5 races, after that everyone else was catching them hand over fist, I think that Button hanging on in there despite the pressure that was coming on him was an awesome feat.

My opinion, im not belittling any other atheletes, but JB for me.
Southern teams hold autumn supremacy 2:48pm on 01 Dec 2009 Afternoon WillyGilly. Good point re. Lineouts...there were some shockers at Welford road a couple of weeks back in the Saints game (for both sides, im not claiming that the Tigers lineout was pure and beautiful!), and I think i remember only one getting called. mental! Its not like its even hard to spot...Ref stands at back of the channel, Linesman at the front, surely one of them will notice?
Spain can end Europe's historical failure 2:43pm on 01 Dec 2009 Haha! I love the fact that my posts on Tom Fordyce's blog are put up straight away, whilst my posts on here, phil mcnultys, and robbo's blogs take at least 15 mins to mod. The beeb clearly thing football bloggers are more confrontational! :P
Southern teams hold autumn supremacy 2:38pm on 01 Dec 2009 Basher:

agree with 3,6 and 10 mate, but the rest simply arent logical.

1: tackles have to be below the shoulders anyway...below the waist isn't realistic...could you imagine someone of Chabal's size trying to tackle someone like Hipkiss below the waist? he'd have to be laying down to do it!
2: I half agree with, instead I'd say they have to release and go round the back, else the coming in at the side offence should be called
4: The clean-ness of the hit is what generates momentum in scrums, the initial contact is all important. If there was going to be a rule regarding front rows in scrums i'd make one along the lines of; ensure that binding is on the shirt, not the arm, and remains constant. 1 warning, then in the bin. That would stop props from twisting the arms at scrum time.
5: What good would a free kick be? If you cheat, you're penalised with a penalty. Thats the idea
7: I didnt know Sven Goran Errikson coached rugby...
8: What use would a goalkicker be then? The whole point of a try in the beginnings of rugby was that you were allowed a "try at goal"...ie: Kicking through the sticks.
9: Do you watch Aussie rules at all? the whole point of only marking in your 22 is so that kicking remains opposed where it is likely to construe a huge advantage. If you could mark at halfway, say, then whats to stop the Carters, Wilkinsons, Goodes etc simply sticking the ball in your corner again and again...you have a lineout, loads of pressure, crash the ball away, mark, ball booted back...take 2!

Regarding the topic of the blog:

The SH sides show alot of things better than the NH teams do. However: I dont think that any of them are complete teams, and that the gap between the better NH teams, Wales, Ireland, France and the SH teams is not a massive gulf.

SA: big, bruising pack which allows alot of forward momentum and quick ball, dominates lineouts (usually!) and scrums, which gives a platform to the backs. I dont know about you others, but I wasnt all that impressed with the majority of SA's midfield and backs play through the autumn. Habana, Steyn and Peiterson are great...but if they dont get good ball and support then the errors will clock up.
NZ: Dynamite back 3, a goal kicking machine, and of course: Richie McCaw. Yet...England had the better of them in the lineout for the vast majority of the game, their scrum didnt decimate ours (despite a 2nd/3rd string front row, who I was very impressed with by the way!) and I seem to remember alot of mistakes made over the weeks.
Australia: A more "all round team" i think than the other two, just without the outstanding areas and individuals. Matt Giteau will kick all day...but thats the only area that appeared assured through the whole series with Australia, they looked fallible, and the impotency against a dogged Scotland side showed that. Of course, 2nd half vs England and the entire game against Wales showed what they could do, but can they do that consistantly? I dont think so, not on this month's evidence.

«Newer
Older»

^ Back to top

BBC MMVI

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

BBC.co.uk

BBC Blog Network

Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

User Profile

Croftalicious